Avince woke up to a quiet room, sunlight spilling through the curtains and pooling on the floor. He hadn’t slept this late in weeks, and it felt like his body had finally taken the rest it needed. Stifling a yawn, he stretched, sore but refreshed, before getting dressed and heading out of his room.
Downstairs, he found his mother and sister at the table, quietly having breakfast. His mother, Ashna, noticed him first and smiled. "Look who’s finally up," she teased, "You must’ve been exhausted."
Amyra snickered, lifting her cup of coffee. "For someone who’s usually up at dawn, this is impressive."
Avince rolled his eyes, sitting down to join them. "Guess I overdid it," he admitted, pouring himself some coffee. "I feel better, though."
Ashna leaned over, setting a plate in front of him. "You’ve earned a day off, you know. Rest if you need to," she said gently. "Your father and I talked, and we’re fine with you taking a break today."
Avince shook his head, determined. "Thanks, but I’d rather not waste the day. I’m already behind in a few subjects, and I don’t want that gap to grow."
Ashna looked like she wanted to say something but held back. He noticed a flicker of worry in her gaze before she nodded. "If you’re sure. I know you have a lot to catch up on."
He glanced around. "Speaking of, where’s Dad? It’s strange not seeing him here this early."
Ashna hesitated, then shrugged, carefully choosing her words. "He left early. Said he had to meet up with some old friends," she replied casually, though Avince could see the concern lurking just beneath her calm demeanor. She then added, "Amyra and I will be home late tonight—we’ll be training with the clan."
Avince nodded, reminded of Amyra’s usual rigorous training schedule.
Then something clicked in his mind—he suspected that his father was probably out there trying to gather help or resources related to his ability. His father had always been the type to go the extra mile to support him, especially back when Avince hadn’t awakened any ability at 13. Erwin had spent years reaching out to experts, looking for tutors, anything that might help Avince to learn and avoid lagging behind his peers. A small smile played on his lips as he recalled the memory, but he filed the thoughts away for now. That was a story for another time.
Amyra, now finished with her breakfast, got up to gather her things. "I’ll be heading to school early," she announced, shouldering her bag. "You’re fine to arrive a bit late today if you want, Avince. The Candidate Tournament for the first years starts today to decide who’ll represent the Academy’s for the District Meet."
Avince blinked, surprised. He’d completely forgotten about the Candidate Tournament in all the recent chaos. "Right," he muttered. "I meant to sign up, but… well, everything else happened."
Amyra gave him a sympathetic smile. "Don’t worry about it. From what I’ve heard, most of the applicants are pretty strong, so the chances of qualifying are low. Just focus on what you need to do for now."
He nodded, grateful for her understanding. As she left, he stood up and finished getting ready for school, mentally preparing for the day ahead.
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The walk to his academy was peaceful, with the familiar surroundings comforting him as he moved through the streets. His academy, Luminas General Academy wasn’t the largest or the most specialized school, but it had a solid reputation for nurturing well-rounded students. It is one of the most reputed academies in the 4th district of the Meskalt country, the academy catered to a diverse range of abilities and aptitudes, from combat-focused students to those interested in magical theory and application. For someone like Avince, whose powers didn’t fall neatly into one category, Lumina had always felt like the perfect fit.
Even his younger sister, Amyra, was here despite having a magical focus ability. At only 14, she was excelling in her own studies and receiving offers from various specialized schools, but she stayed due to their family’s proximity to Lumina. It was convenient, and it allowed her to stay with her family, at least for now. Still, Lumina had produced some incredible talent; one former student had even placed in the top 10 of the International Competitions. For a general academy, it was impressive.
When Avince arrived, the school grounds buzzed with energy. Crowds of students gathered around the main courtyard, where brackets for the Candidate Tournament were posted. The excitement was contagious, but Avince reminded himself that he didn’t have time to watch. He had catching up to do and needed to check in with several professors first.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
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The first stop was Professor Carlson, who taught History of Dungeons and Awakenings. The classroom was empty when Avince arrived, save for the older professor sitting at his desk, engrossed in a massive tome.
"Professor Carlson?" Avince approached quietly, not wanting to startle him.
The professor looked up, adjusting his glasses with a warm smile. "Ah, Avince! Heard you were out for a bit. Feeling better?"
"Much better, thank you," Avince replied. "I wanted to catch up on the material I missed, if that’s alright."
"Of course, of course." Professor Carlson nodded, pulling out a stack of notes. "We’ve covered a lot about the early days of dungeon exploration and the history of awakenings. I’ll send these notes to you, but come by after class sometime, and I can go through them with you in detail. I’m always here if you have questions."
Avince thanked him, feeling relieved. History had never been his strongest subject, but Carlson’s enthusiasm for the topic made it interesting. With one class checked off, he moved on to Professor Lira Vandelor’s room.
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Professor Lira’s class focused on Mana’s Application in Society, and she had a much more casual approach. When Avince walked in, she greeted him with a wave, her warm smile instantly making him feel at ease.
"Avince! We missed you. Everything alright?" she asked, her tone motherly.
"Yes, Professor. I just need to catch up on what I missed in class," he explained.
She nodded, handing him some worksheets. "We’ve been discussing mana applications beyond combat, specifically in infrastructure and daily life. It’s crucial to understand how mana affects society, especially as someone who is recently awakened. You’ll want to know how to apply your powers outside of dungeons, too."
Avince was surprised that his professor already knew he awakened an ability,still he ignored it and listened intently, taking the materials and promising to review them before their next class. Professor Lira always had a unique way of connecting what they learned to the real world, and he appreciated that.
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The Ethics of Power and Ability Use was his third stop, and Professor Tarien Keld, a stern but fair instructor, wasted no time.
"Avince, I see you’re back," Keld greeted him with a nod. "Good to see a young man with a commitment to his studies."
"Thank you, Professor. I’m here to make up for the work I missed," Avince replied, meeting his intense gaze.
Professor Keld’s subject was all about understanding the responsibility that came with power. He handed Avince a reading list, reminding him of his duty to use his gifts wisely. "Power demands restraint, Avince. I look forward to your reflections on the material," he said with a serious expression.
After thanking Keld, Avince felt a growing sense of motivation. With these three subjects squared away, he only had his Rune Crafting project left, so he made his way to Professor Mira Solandis’s classroom.
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Inside, a familiar figure was waiting with Professor Mira—Erica. She looked up, surprised but happy to see him.
"Mr. Thane, Ms. Wellesley," Professor Mira greeted them formally, using their surnames as was her custom. "It seems you both have questions about the project."
Avince smiled and nodded, trying not to look too flustered by Erica’s presence. "I didn’t realize you were working on this too, Erica."
She shrugged. "I had a few questions on the project. Didn’t know you’d be here either."
Mira looked between them with a knowing smile. "Avince, you’ve shown quite a talent for Rune Crafting and Enchantments. I have a suggestion if you’re interested. Normally, first-years craft a rank-one durability rune and apply it to an item, but I’d like to offer you something different."
Avince raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What do you have in mind, Professor?"
"If you can successfully create a rank-three rune, I’ll excuse you from the project requirement entirely. You wouldn’t even need to apply it to an item—just demonstrate mastery," Mira explained, her eyes glinting with expectations.
Avince was stunned. Rank-three runes were challenging, typically tackled by second-years. "I didn’t know that was an option."
“It is actually the norm," Mira explained with a sly grin. "Students who excel in the field, or simply have no need for a subject can be recommended to instantly pass. This is quite common in the second years but it is still rarely done in the first. For you, I just need to guarantee that you really has no need for my subject to give you the pass.”
He could hardly contain his excitement as he began mentally cycling through possible runes. A Shock Rune crossed his mind first, a rune designed to release a burst of electric energy upon impact. Then, there was the Concealment Rune, a tricky option that would allow him to blend into his surroundings, perfect for evading detection. The idea of a Fortification Rune also came up, a rune that could be used to strengthen objects or materials—a handy choice if he needed something durable in the future.
But then he thought of the Channeling Rune. It was subtle yet powerful, aiding in the efficiency of spellcasting and reducing the strain on mana reserves. The Channeling Rune felt right to him, practical yet ambitious enough to make it a worthy challenge.
Beside him, Erica turned with a small smile. “I’d better go; the tournament’s starting soon. Thought I’d catch a few rounds and learn something from the fights,” she said, shouldering her bag.
Avince gave a nod, appreciating her support. “Enjoy the matches. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Good luck with your project, Avince,” she said warmly, giving him an encouraging look before heading toward the arena.